[jgrMeister]

Although I would imagine that somewhere in the old forum someone has posted their procedure for storing their bikes for the winter, I haven't found it. Can someone point me there or tell me what they do (fuel system, etc.) when they put their bike away for the winter? I'm in Maine, so we are talking about actual winter.

 

[Cobram]

There are many variations and extremes some go to when putting their bike away for a while.



I like to empty the gas tank, remove it from the bike, fog it with a mix of WD40 and Marvel Mystery oil and store it in the basement.



Run the bike to empty the carbs, while doing this, run fogging oil though the engine via the intake (you get a nice coating on the inside of the exhaust, where the worse corrosion is likely to take place.)



When she's run dry of gas, open the bowl drains and squirt some fogging oil into the bowls. (You could use any decent lubricating spray too) If she's going to be put away for longer than the winter, remove the plugs and give the cylinders a couple good blasts of fogging oil too, replace plugs.



Disconnect the battery and store that in the basement too, give it a trickle charge for a couple days a month during the winter.



Lift the front end a bit and position something under the engine so that both wheels are off the ground while on the center stand, I found that an old Audi headrest is just the right size.



There are folks who change the oil, I usually don't unless it's due.

 

[Blindstitch]

There are a lot of things that can be done and most are above but it all depends on how much you want to do.



I like to refresh my antifreeze and do an oil change along with draining the carbs.



Some say they want a full tank to prevent rust and others say an empty one.

 

[Cobram]

The full tank, as 'stich mentioned is kid of a toss up these days. Even with a good fuel stabilizer, the mixture of alcohol and chemical swill they're passing off as gasoline these days has a shelf life of about 3 months, and attracts water like a sponge.



It's not that difficult to drain the tank, give it a good spritz on the inside with your anti-corrosion concoction of choice (WD40 and MMO 40/60 I've found to be optimal) and some fogging oil will likely preserve the fuel tank much better than a full tank will. If you leave the tank full, you'll have to drain it come spring anyway, no way you'd want to run your bike on whatever the "gas" has fermented into by then. It takes 2 minutes to remove the tank, like I said before, I store it in a cozy basement for the winter, come Spring it's none the worse, looks the same as the day I put it away.



If removing the tank isn't an option, I'd opt. for the full tank with a some stabilizer and a half cup of MMO for good measure.

 

[CXSarnia]

If removing the tank isn't an option, I'd opt. for the full tank with a some stabilizer and a half cup of MMO for good measure.

From personal experience, I have always left the tank full to the brim. Back in '82 a) I was too young to know better, or b ) there really wasn't any "Stabil" or such product available.

Only since I got the bike back in 2006 have I used any kind of 'stabilizer' in the gas for the off season, The result? Pristine condition on the inside. Not a speck of rust.

 

[kingston73]

I've done both, the full and the empty tank, both worked well for me and no problems with either method.  Like Cobram said, you do want to lift the tire off the ground, and make sure its on a solid, waterproof surface to protect from dry rot.  Also, like Stitch said, changing the oil and coolant before winter isn't a bad idea.  With new oil in you don't have to worry about any water or other contaminants that are in the old oil doing any damage.  I leave the brake fluid in and change it at the start of the season, don't know if that makes any difference or not.  If you're storing it inside you can put a light dust cover over it (sheet or similar) but if you keep it outside you want to make sure your cover breathes so condensation doesn't hurt the bike.  Don't use a standard plastic tarp, get a good, quality cover specifically meant for your bike.  I learned that the hard way, I killed my headers by covering it with a non-breathable cover, next spring the headers were beyond a simple sanding and I had to end up painting them black..

 

[Interstater]

One winter storage step that doesn't seem to get mentioned enough is giving every smooth metal surface a good waxing. Two coats of wax on the chrome wouldn't hurt.

 

[unbreakable7132]

My bike usually gets pulled apart and refurbished every winter.It's the only chance Ihave at fixing all the crap I broke over the spring and summer!

 

[Bri-Guy-GA]

Wait, you have to stop riding in the winter? I didn't get the memo.

 

[DaveF]

I didn't get it either. Just what is this winter storage thing, anyway?

 

[unbreakable7132]

I'm too much of a wuss to brave anything under 50 degrees.I like not being tingly and numb!

 

[Bryan]

I always take the opportunity to do the basic laundry list of maintenance items, including oil and gear oil change, set the valve clearances, fog the engine in the method previously mentioned, adjust the cam chain, drain the carbs, fill the tank and add two or three ounces of Seafoam, check the plugs, lube the cables, check the coolant level (I change it every other year) and check the battery level. I wash and wax the bike and am lucky enough to keep it in a garage on a float charger. My thinking is that if I do these things, I can hop on and ride when the weather breaks in spring.

 

[Blindstitch]

I'm too much of a wuss to brave anything under 50 degrees.I like not being tingly and numb!

Damn we were riding in high 30's today.

 

[DakotaMK]

I plan on SOME riding before it gets too crappy out... and even if it's too late, I've contemplate rigging up 2 skis- one on each side of the bike and riding in the snow

Now I'm gonna go back to watching Cutler get sacked... 9 times so far, and 22 yards total offense this whole first half... wtf



BTW, I had planned on a full tank- I plan on end of November- end of March/ beginning of April being my 'down time'- throw some stabil in the tank and go from there....

 

[Casey Stangle]

I have sprayed WD-40 on the chrome surfaces in the fall. Clean it off with 409 and a hose in the spring. No rust or pitting after 40 years on my 1970.

 

[kingston73]

I didn't get it either.  Just what is this winter storage thing, anyway?    

You Georgia people should spend a winter in New England just one time, otherwise you can't appreciate how good you have it.  Even without the cold temps, from dec to april the roads are so coated with salt your bike will be eaten away unless you deep clean it after every ride.  I'm not nearly that diligent, so I wait until the first couple really good rains have washed the salt away.  My own personal comfort level has been about 45F, I'll see if my handguards and some new gloves help lower that a bit.  We haven't seen 30's yet, but it's been mid 40's a few mornings on my way to work so far.